IRAN WATCH CANADA

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

After 48 days of hunger strike, Mr. Arzhang Dawoodi went on coma!!

According to a report by human rights group in Iran, on Sunday August 29 at 12 midnight Mr. arzhang Dawoodi one of the political prisoner in Evin prison after 48 days of hunger strike went on coma and the prison guards took him with stretcher to the prison clinic.

background news:

Mr. Arzhang Dawoodi has ended his 70 days of hunger strike!Send your strong protest letter to Islamic Republic for continues violation of human rights !Support Arzhang Dawoodi, Mostafa Alavi , Hana Abdi , Mohammad Sadigh Kabudvand, Mansour Osanlou and other political prisoners!A video clip in Farsi language - An interview with the wife of Arzhang Dawoodi- Arzhang is a political prisoner in Iran , in protest to his arrest he continued his hunger strike for 70 days which ended today July 7/08. -She said that her husband went through alot of torture and beating and harshness. At present Mr. Mostafa Alavi another political prisoner is also on hunger strike for almost 67 days. In support with these and other political prisoners Mr. Froud Siyavashpoor a medical doctor living in abroad also went on hunger strike.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

ILNA reporting:

The Human Rights committee in the Judiciary Power ( a governmental organization headed by Mohammad Javad Larijani the brother of Mohammad Sadegh Larijani the head of judiciary power ) has released a communique about Sekineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the women who was sentenced

to death by stonning for an alleged adultery and conviction into murdering her husband.

Her case has brought an outcry inside and outside Iran , even few government came in her rescue including Brazilian Government which offered assylum for her if she decide to go to Brazil.

The excerpts from communique by this governmental organization which works to beautify or trys to polish the rough edges or area of the Islamic law and also propagate for the benefit of such law as "Sharia" says:

"The other countries without any information about the case should not interfere into our country's judiciary system, we know what we are doing and so you keep quiet and shot your mouth, our judiciary system is independent from other political base such as parliament and Government.The human rights committee in defending the rights of all citizens including Ms. Sekineh Mohammadi Ashtiani , the committee has looked into her file but unfortuanately based on the evidence the charges against Ms. ashtiani has been approved ."

According to the communique:

" police has responded to a phone call and then in a scene of murder , noticed a man ( husband of Sekineh Ashtiani) lying down on the floor of the bathroom and in the investigation Ms. ashtiani has admitted to murdering her husband with the help of another man. According to autopsy there are marks of electricity on the victims body ( on his toes , neck face and on the stomack area , based on the report from autopsy the vicxtim has been drugged and then was killed by electric current. Based on the evidence Ms. Sekineh Mohammadi ashtiani was sentenced to death by stonning ( later, because of international protest on this case ,the judiciary cancelled the death by stonning and instead sentenced her to death by execution-possibly hanging)and her accomplice was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment."

The communique at the end says: becuse she has two kids and because she killed her husband and ruined the family , the case will decided later and the decision will be announced."

According to Mr. Mohammad Mostafaei a juvenile lawyer :"the prosecutor beleived that; she had participated in the murder and the participation was not approved or established based on the evidence , she might have been manipulated or tricked by the murderer ,therefore, she is not guilty of adultery ."

The TV ‘confession’ of an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning on an adultery conviction is a fake, according to a journalist who shared a cell with her for three months.Iranian journalist Shahnaz Gholami was confined to the same cell as 43-year-old Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani before fleeing the country while on temporary release. Gholami was inprisoned for being overtly critical of the Iranian regime.Gholami now lives in exile in Paris, from where she followed the recent controversy over Sakineh’s confessions on Iranian television. Gholami believes it is a fake.Gholami told FRANCE 24, “Her words had been dubbed into Persian and she talked about many other issues.... in my opinion it was not Sakineh.”“And even if it was Sakineh the regime exerts a very strong pressure on the prisoners... even I was put under immense pressure as a political prisoner. The authorities wanted me to make public confessions on TV but I refused.”Gholami went on to report that Sakineh didn’t understand the words used by the Iranian judge when her death sentence was delivered because she speaks only Turkish.“When she learned of her conviction from the mouth of the Director of the prison she was really shocked - I was beside her along with all our fellow prisoners.”“We all were shocked and when Sakineh learned of her conviction her headscarf fell off and she fainted... the other prisoners lifted her up and helped her regain consciousness”, said Gholami.The execution had been put on hold, amid a mounting international outcry over the sentence, but Iranian officials have insisted that justice will run its course. There are now increasing concerns that the ‘confession’ could prompt authorities in Iran to execute the mother of two.The condemnation of Sakineh has prompted international outrage; with France urging the EU to threaten Iran with new sanctions over what the block’s foreign affairs chief Lady Catherine Ashton called “practices of another age”.Demonstrations of support for Sakineh are set to take place on Saturday in more than 100 cities across the world.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Green movement,social networking from the top and bottom, besieging regime through civil rights !

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Alert.Alert.Alert.Alert.The lives of Iranian political prisoners is in great danger!

Picture of Shiva Nazarahari

Shiva is a human rights advocate

Ahmadinejad's Government with the support of Ali Khamenei is commiting crime against humanity .

News coming from Iran about political prisoners is disturbing , hundereds of Iranian political prisoners are captive inside the prison of the most dreadful Government which does not have any respect for human rights. Before it become late , the "UN Human Rights Council "should take initiatives or action against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Government's policy towards political prisoners, Against torture , forced confession and murder .

One of these prisoner who's life is in immediate danger is Ms. Shiva Nazarahari, She is charged with " Maharebeh" an Islamic term for : In fight with Islam and Islamic regime, the punishment for "Maharebeh" is death sentence. Mr. Mostafaei the lawyer for youth who are sentenced to daeth, in speaking about shiva said: Shiva have come to my office several time, the Shiva that i know is not guilty of any crime, i know Shiva very well, When she was in Evin prison ,she was in ward number 209 and she spent some times in solitary confinement.

Mr. Mostafaei who scaped to Norway from continious persecution and for the safty of his life wrote in his article that:The word " Maharebeh" is reminding me of Arash Rahmanpour the young Iranian who was charged with "Maharebe " a few months ago and was sentenced to death and was hanged.

It is reminding me of Farzad Kamangar the teacher who was accused with the same charges and was hanged . It is reminding me of Amir Reza Arefi who was also accused of the same charges and was sentenced to death but later in the court of appeal he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

And so many of other innocent prisoners who were sentenced to death in the hands of criminals who run the government.

Shiva's mom in speaking with International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said: "My daughter has rejected all the allegations against herself."

So far , Shiva has spent 120 days in prison. She has been arrested several other times and was released on bail.

UN human rights council must stop the regime of Ahmadinejad to commit further crime against humanity.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Minister of Information: "The heads of "Fetneh"(sedition) have received more than One $1000,000,000 from other countries!

After Ayatollah "Janati" the head of Guardian Council, who for the first time said that ; the heads of "Fetneh" ( The leader of sedition-meaning the leader of Green movement: Khatami, musavi and Karoubi...) have received $1000,000,000 from Saudi Arabia and are going to receive another $50,000,000,000 from the other countries , Mr. Karoubi the past head of the parliament and one of the leader in the green movement, made a complaint to the judiciary power against Ayatollah Janati's claim and asked Janati to show all the evidence he has.Now, for the first time, Mr. Heidar Moslehi the Minister of Information of Ahmadinejad's Government also emphasized on the receiving of more than $1,000,000,000 by the head of " sedition" . In a question put to him that; is it true that the foreign governments have helped $1,000,000,000 to the heads of " sedition" , in response he said: yes it was true and you must consider that they have received more".

He also told to the reporters that: For arresting Mr. mehdi Hashemi , we dont need Interpol.Mehdi Hashi is the son of Hashemi Rafsanjani . The Government of ahmadinejad is calling for his arrest because of his activities and support for Musavi ( another leader of the green movement) and corruption charges.

The family members of 16 hunger strike political prisoners are deprived again from visiting their loved one!

Iran -depressing news as always from Government conducts:

1-the security guards at Evin prison, have told to prisoners parents, who were gathered there to get news about their loved one that " For the present, they must stay in solitary confinement, and we don't have to do anything about your worry,they should have thought about this days when they were making the decision to go to hunger strike....... "

These families after hearing this, staged a protest in front of Evin prison gate for not being permitted to visit their loved one.

2-According to news and a report by "International Campaign for human rights" 300 prisoners have been executed in "Vakilabad prison " in the city of Mashhad and more than 2100 have received death sentence in the same prison and are awaiting on the death row.

3-Shiva Nazar-ahari , Arzhang davoodi , Mansour Osanloo, Keyvan Samimi, Bahman Ahmadi amouei, Ahmad Zeidabadi ,Majid Tavakoli , Behrooz javid Tehrani and so many other political prisoners are looking at us everyday , is this all we can do just to follow the news and write a statement once in a while? They need our help ...

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Is there going to be a war against Islamic regime in Iran!

Once again there are talks and news about possible war against Islamic regime in Iran. Both sides Islamic regime officials and US, as well as Israel are throwing their poisonous speers in the air. The atmosphere in the middle East is becoming heavier to breath. The shadow of war and destruction, the 21st century bombing of the infrustructure and cities , the deads and woundeds toll , the refugee camp and disease.... all and all, will bring the breath of this world's human being to a halt, fear of escalation to other region and other countries involvement will definitely effect human being all over the world, from economic hardship to other phenomenon which is the identity of war.

By looking and searching the pages of newspapers ,TV or internet online news,the volume of news about possible war between US and Islamic regime in Iran or Israel and Islamic regime in Iran , fear will roll door to door among world public for a possible 3rd world war.

War definitly is no good for green movement in Iran , because the first victims of war will be the leaders or oppositions in the green movement. The regime will take advantage to arrest and imprison or murder all opposition leaders for treason .So we say it very loud:

Iranian assylum seekers in Athen, Greece on hunger strike for 25 days in protest against the negligence on their cases !UNHCR in Athen must help them

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Thousands flee since the election coup in Iran!

By STEVE STECKLOW and FARNAZ FASSIHINEVSEHIR, Turkey -- Sadegh Shojai fled Iran after government agents raided his Tehran apartment, seizing his computer and 700 copies of a book he published on staging revolutions.Now, he and his wife spend their days in this isolated Turkish town in a cramped, coal-heated apartment that lacks a proper toilet. But Mr. Shojai, 28 years old, continues to churn out articles on antigovernment Web sites about Iranian political prisoners, and helps to link students in Tehran with fellow students in Europe."I feel very guilty that I have abandoned my friends and countrymen, so I make up for it by burying myself in activism here," he says.He's part of a small but spreading refugee exodus of businesspeople, dissidents, college students, journalists, athletes and other elite Iranians that is transforming the global face of Iran's resistance movement.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Iran: ‘Confession,’ Stoning Sentence a Mockery of Justice

For Immediate ReleaseIran: ‘Confession,’ Stoning Sentence a Mockery of Justice(Beirut, August 13, 2010) – A televised confession by Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani heightens the already grave concern that Iran will soon execute the 43-year-old woman, Human Rights Watch said today.Ashtiani, initially sentenced to death by stoning after being convicted in 2006 of adultery, told state-run television on August 11, 2010, that she participated in the murder of her husband. Iranian officials have repeatedly suggested over the past several weeks, in response to the international outcry over the stoning sentence, that Ashtiani murdered her husband.“The men who run Iran apparently have no shame at all, first pronouncing the barbaric sentence of death by stoning and then resorting to a televised confession,” said Nadya Khalife, Middle East women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Under the circumstances there is every reason to believe that this so-called confession was coerced. ”During the televised interview, Ashtiani’s face was blurred and her words were voiced over with translations from her mother tongue, Azeri, into Farsi. In the broadcast Ashtiani also criticized her previous lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaei, who sought refuge in Norway after Iranian security forces threatened him and his family, accusing him of publicizing her case so he could gain asylum abroad.Four days earlier, Ashtiani told The Guardian newspaper, through an intermediary, that an Iranian court had “acquitted” her in 2006 of conspiring to murder her husband.“They’re lying,” she told The Guardian. “They are embarrassed by the international attention on my case and they are desperately trying to distract attention and confuse the media so that they can kill me in secret.”On May 15, 2006, a criminal court in East Azerbaijan province found Ashtiani guilty of having an “illicit relationship” with two men following the death of her husband in 2005. The court sentenced her to flogging, and she was given 99 lashes. In September 2006, in a separate case, the government put a man to whom it referred to as “Isa T.,” on trial for the murder of Ashtiani’s husband and also put her on trial for conspiracy to murder.At that point another court opened a separate adultery case against her based on events that allegedly took place before her husband’s death, convicted her of “adultery during marriage,” and sentenced her to death by stoning. During this trial, Ashtiani retracted a confession she had made during a pretrial interrogation, alleging that it had been coerced. She has continued to deny the adultery charge.continuation:Link:http://bl137w.blu137.mail.live.com/default.aspxFor more Human Rights Watch reporting on Iran, please visit:http://www.hrw.org/en/middle-eastn-africa/iran

Great piece, Listen dictators Charlie Chaplin is talking to you .... Dictators die

Dispute among regime official intensified.........

Since the presidential election coup d, etat by the ring of Ahmadinejad on June 12/ 2009 and his forceful stay in power as president "select" for the second term despite of Iranian peoples protest by millions in the streets all over the country for the whole last year , the regime continue to face the challenges and resistance not only by the people of Iran but from within the regime officials. In these fights; Khamenei has lost his credibility , he has lost respect he had enjoyed before , he is now being called as a traitor by his support for Ahmadinejad and his cabinet. Conservative officials continue to fall and withdraw their support for Ahmadinejad and sometimes even Khamenei, this is the fact and evidence of the daily news coverage.The sharp criticism of Ahmadinejad's Government and his cabinet ministers are everywhere in the news.

One of these conservative MP who recently made the U turn from his past position is Mr. Ali Motahari the son of Ayatollah Motahari . In an interview with "Soroush " weekly he compared Ahmadinejad's and his circle as the "Forghan" group, a terrorist Islamic group from early years of the revolution , which aimed to assassinate the regime top officials. He said; many clergy still support Ahmadinejad just because of Khamenei's support for him. He said; the situation of the country after election is "half reppressive " and Even the media are banned to publish his speeches.

He said; even if Khamenei the leader have support for a candidate , people can chose and vote for another . He did critisize the way the parliament has handled the ordeal between the Goverment which does not respect the legal channels and violates the constitution and the parliament.He told; if my father was alive ,he would not accept this situation.

He said; if you the officials have any critisism against the Government , your speeches and your comments will not be published in the newspapers and the newspapers which would dare to do so ,will be targeted and banned.

He said:They have special view about Islam, They believe in "Mahdaviat" the preparation for the coming of "Imam Zaman" ( the 12th imam who is absent for now) and they have also problems with clergies and "Velayate Faghih" the guardianship of jurisprudent.He said; at present many clergies and friday prayer imams and ayatollahs have come to conclusion that the view points of Ahmadinejad and his circle won't reflect the idea's of "Osoulgra"or principalists .

Mr. Motahari told: I said it before these group are similar in nature and policy with the " Forghan " group.

He said: Election means freedom to elect , and if officials say that; the leaders openion is with this candidate and the other candidate must withdraw , this is wrong .He said; at present many MP's in the parliament are follower of leader.He said; we the MP's must do our job as representatives.He told ; the action of the regime of Ahmadinejad is very ugly towards parliament and the parliament action dealing with him and his Government is weak.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Hadi Heidari Iranian cartoonist on "Journalists Day" in Iran!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Iranian political prisoners after 15 days ended their hunger strike !

Message of political prisoners to Iranian people !

The political prisoners in a letter which was secretly delivered outside the prison wrote:

"We will continue to defend our basic rights which is the human rights of the prisoner and we promise you that; we will continue to defend the legal rights of all prisoners."

The website of "Kalameh" ( website of green movement) :

"The 15 political prisoners on their 16th day of hunger strike , after receiving messages from green movement leaders including ; political activists,civil rights advocates and other people who were worried about their health and safety and have asked them to end their hunger strike , has ended their hunger strike. They have sent a short message from Evin prison to Iranian people."

The message reads:

"The free willing people of Iran,

We will continue to defend our basic rights which is the human rights of the prisoners and we promise you that; we will continue to defend the legal rights of all prisoners."

"In their message, they spoke about the promises Tehran public prosecutor made about their five demands. We hope public prosecutor will fulfill its promises.The release of Mr. Babak Bordbar from prison can be called as a sign in that direction.The prosecutor has promised he will punish those prison guards or officials who have insulted the politica prisoners......"

At the end, they have thanked all those who have echoed their voices around the world.

Signed: Ward #240 , Evin prison

Political prisoners who had hunger strike

We won't forget that ; this same prosecutor and judiciary system have executed five Kurdish political prisoners including Farzad Kamangar the well known Kurdish teacher just a little while ago.

8 August 2010NEW YORK — The Baha'i International Community has received reports indicating that seven Iranian Baha'i leaders have each received jail sentences of 20 years.The two women and five men have been held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since they were arrested in 2008 – six of them on 14 May and one of them two months earlier."If this news proves to be accurate, it represents a deeply shocking outcome to the case of these innocent and harmless people," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations."We understand that they have been informed of this sentence and that their lawyers are in the process of launching an appeal," said Ms. Dugal.The prisoners – Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm – were all members of a national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Iran's 300,000-strong Baha'i community, the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority.The trial of the seven consisted of six brief court appearances which began on 12 January this year after they had been incarcerated without charge for 20 months, during which time they were allowed barely one hour's access to their legal counsel. The trial ended on 14 June.The defendants were accused of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and the establishment of an illegal administration, among other allegations. All the charges are completely and categorically denied.

UN human rights council must send an envoy to Iran to rescue the political prisoners before it becomes late!

The lives of political prisoners in Iran is in great danger!

The family members have gathered in Evin prison in protest.

Despite of contradictory news the other day the

Political prisoners did not end the hunger strike and it is the 15th day of their hunger strike.

According to news, the family members of the political prisoners who are on hunger strike in Evin prison announced that ; the prisoners did not end their hunger strike.

The government of Ahmadinejad can commit another national calamity. Before it is late the UN human rights council must send an envoy to rescue the political prisoners.

These political prisoners in protest to their situation in ward number 350 in Evin prison , went on hunger strike and most of them are now in solitary confinement and the prison officials banned the family visitation rights. It's now two weeks that the family members do not have news about their loved one.

today when the family members attended to Evin prison to see their loved one , the prison officials told them that: "Your prisoner is banned to visitation" !?

In the past days Mr. Nouroozi deputy to Tehran prosecutor have promised the family members that ; the prisoners will contact them by phone , but this didn't happen.

According to news , Reza Malek another prisoner of ward #350 has joined the hunger strike.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

"Your heart is like a sea" .........in solidarity with all political prisoners in Iran

13 political prisoners end their hunger strike !

Picture-Three political prisoners still on hunger strike

Three political prisoners are still on hunger strike!

After Mir Hossain Musavi and Mehdi karoubi ( Both 2009 presidential candidate) and some other "Meli-Mazhabi " personalities called political prisoners to end their hunger strike and promises made by prosecutor to political prisoners and hunger strike by Iranian inside and outside Iran in solidarity with political prisoners including the family members of political prisoners and a group of women political prisoners inside and outside Evin prison , the 13 political prisoners decided to end their hunger strike today Aug.8 .There are no news at this time about the promises made by prosecutor. But, three other political prisoners are still on dry hunger strike and are in solitary confinement ,they are : Bahman Ahmadi Amouei -journalist, Keyvan Samimi -journalist and writer and Majid Tavakoli -student leader.

Here are the lists of 13 political prisoners who decided to end their hunger strike after 14

days:

Abdolah Momeni

Ali Malihi

Majid Dori

Zia Nabavi

Kohyar godarzi

Hossain Noraninejad

Ali Parviz

Hamidreza Mohammadi

Ebrahim (Nader) Babaei

Gholam Hossain Arshi

Peyman Karimiazad

Jafar Eghdami

In other news , Regime has also arrested the father of Ali Parviz one of the political prisoner who ended the hunger strike.

It is also in the news that ; one of the oldest political prisoner in Evin prison who's name is RezaMalek has also joined the hunger strike. He is 74 years of age and hunger strike would hurt him much more . He went on hunger strike to protest his situation and he is currently in solitary confinement.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Human Rights Watch(HRW): Stop Abuse of Political Prisoners

(New York, August 6, 2010) –Iranian prison authorities should end the solitary confinement of 17 political prisoners and afford them all the protections to which they are entitled, including access to their families and lawyers, Human Rights Watch said today. All 17 have been on a hunger strike since July 26 to protest deteriorating conditions inside Evin Prison and have been prohibited from contacting their families.

The 17 are among hundreds held in Ward 350 of Tehran’s Evin Prison, many of whom were unlawfully detained as part of the mass arrests of political dissidents and peaceful demonstrators following the disputed June 12, 2009 presidential election. There is speculation that more prisoners may have joined the hunger strike in recent days.

“Throwing these prisoners into solitary confinement instead of responding to their legitimate concerns only causes them further harm,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “They need to be reintegrated back into the general population, get the care they need, and be allowed to contact their loved ones immediately.”

Authorities transferred the 17 to solitary confinement on July 26, after they complained about prison conditions. A family member of one inmate told Human Rights Watch that as of August 5, three of the prisoners had begun a “dry” hunger strike, refusing to eat or drink anything. The family member expressed serious concern about the deteriorating condition of several of the inmates. Since the inmates began their hunger strike authorities have transferred several of them to the prison clinic for treatment with serum, but usually returned them to their cells shortly thereafter. Several of the 17 suffer from medical conditions that require vigilant care, such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease.

Kaleme, a website affiliated with the former presidential candidate and opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, reported that the authorities sent the 17 to solitary confinement after they complained about prison conditions and the ill-treatment of fellow inmates. The inmates began their hunger strike after prison officials transferred them to solitary confinement. During their transfer to solitary confinement, prison guards allegedly threatened and verbally harassed them. Since last week authorities have cut off all communication between Ward 350 inmates and the outside world, denying all prisoners there visitation rights and daily telephone calls.

On August 2, the 17 inmates issued a statement with five demands, including full respect by prison officials of all rights guaranteed to prisoners by law, an end to their solitary confinement, an increase in the time allowed for telephone calls, and improved access to medical facilities. The statement from the 17 said that prison authorities routinely harass prisoners, arbitrarily limit or deny visitation and telephone privileges, and fail to provide basic medical treatment and accommodations. They also complained of severely overcrowded conditions in Ward 350. Reports by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran indicate that prison authorities are systematically denying needed medical care to political prisoners.

Persian-language media have reported that since the inmates initiated their strike their families have attempted to speak with the Tehran prosecutor, Jafari Dolatabadi, and other officials to gain access to the inmates, secure their transfer back to the general ward, and improve prison conditions. On August 2, after they were again turned away by Evin Prison guards, members of the families began their own hunger strike in solidarity with the 17 inmates.

On August 4, after family members gathered outside the General Prosecutor’s office in Tehran to demand access to their relatives in detention, anti-riot police attacked them with batons, forcibly removed pictures of their imprisoned family members from their hands, and threatened them with arrest, Kalame reported. An Iranian human rights activist in close contact with family members told Human Rights Watch that in recent days government authorities have threatened the families and warned them not to give press interviews.

Both Iranian law and international law require prison authorities to provide basic necessities to all prisoners and to treat them with dignity and respect. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party, prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In 2004, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention criticized Iran’s systematic use of solitary confinement and noted, “[S]uch absolute solitary confinement, when it is of a long duration, can be likened to inhuman treatment within the meaning of the Convention Against Torture.” The UN Basic Principles on the Treatment of Prisoners state that “efforts addressed to the abolition of solitary confinement as a punishment, or to the restriction of its use, should be undertaken and encouraged.”

In addition, Articles 22 and 39 of Iran’s Constitution prohibit affronts to the dignity of individuals and detainees. The State Prison Organization regulations require prison authorities to provide proper food, shelter, and personal hygiene to inmates. They guarantee detainees the right to medical care and supervision, family visits and communications, and time out of prison in cases of family emergencies.

A lawyer who represents several striking inmates told Human Rights Watch that the authorities also routinely bar lawyers from meeting with their clients: “In order to visit my clients I have to go to court, even though the law simply says that I can go visit my clients,” the lawyer said. The lawyer told Human Rights Watch that recently, instead of issuing orders to allow the visits, courts have been referring lawyers to the prosecutor’s office. “I have gone to visit the Tehran prosecutor many times, but I have not been able to meet with him,” this lawyer said.

The prisoners are only asking for what Iran is obliged to do under its own laws,” Stork said. “Their struggle to exercise their most basic rights as prisoners shows how serious Iran’s human rights crisis has become.”

Thursday, August 05, 2010

It's time UN human rights council to come to the rescue of Iranian political prisoners!

Pictures:Family members staged protest in front of prosecutor's office in Tehran and demanded for a better condition of their loved one. All 17 prisoners started their hunger strike from 10 days ago.

It is in the news that; Mr. Mohammad Mostafaei the lawyer defending young offenders who are sentenced to death and Ms Sekineh Mohammadi the women who has been sentenced to death by stonning has escaped Iran into Turkey . In Turkey he has applied for asylum. The regime has taken Mr. Mostafaei's wife and brother inlaw as hostage. UNHCR and all government around the world must support and expedite Mr. Mostafaei's case and help him settle in their respected country. Mr. Mostafaei is one of the most brave advocate of civil rights who has put his life on the line for human rights and a civil society in Iran.

It has also been in the news that; the family members of the political prisoners in Iran who went on hunger strike in solidarity with their loved one decided to go hunger strike because no one listen to their request and ordeal.

It has also been reported that three of the prisoners who went on hunger strike from previous days are now on dry hunger strike meaning they wont eat or drink and the name of these prisoners are : Bahman Ahmadi Amouei journalist , Keyvan Samimi writer and journalist and Majid Tavakoli student leader.

End Intimidation and Harassment of Lawyer and His Family

(New York, July 30, 2010) – Iranian authorities should immediately charge or release the wife and brother-in-law of a prominent lawyer, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should also stop harassing and intimidating Mohammad Mostafaei who has spent his career defending juveniles and the underprivileged, including many who were sentenced to execution.Mostafaei has been missing since July 24, 2010, when he was questioned by the authorities and then released. Later in the day, security officials went to his office with a warrant to arrest him, several Persian-language media reported. Unable to find him, security forces arrested Mostafaei’s wife, Fereshteh Halimi, and his brother-in-law, Farhad Halimi, in the vicinity of Mostafaei’s office. Both remain in detention but have not been charged.“The authorities have provided no reason for the arrests of Fereshteh and Farhad Halimi,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The burden is squarely on the Iranian government to explain why these arrests do not essentially amount to state-sanctioned hostage-taking.”On July 24, Mostafaei wrote in his online blog, Modafe’, that the public prosecutor’s office in Evin Prison had summoned him for questioning. He wrote that most of the questions were about the source of financial assistance to clients who had been sentenced to death for crimes allegedly committed when they were juveniles. During the past year, Mostafaei helped set up a fund for his juvenile clients to help them pay diyeh, or blood money, to families of victims so they would forgive the alleged offenders and spare them from execution.A few hours after this post, Mostafaei sent another: “Today after being interrogated by Branch 2 of the prosecutor’s office they contacted me again and I was summoned for a second time.” Mostafaei continued, “I don’t know what the problem is this time, but in any case I have to go to the prosecutor’s office at Evin again tomorrow. They may even arrest me today. I don’t know.” He has not posted any other messages since.The Iranian Judiciary has not said why it issued the arrest warrant for Mostafaei.Mostafaei is one of the most prominent human rights lawyers in Iran. In recent years, he has handled numerous high-profile cases, including that of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43 year-old mother of two whom a court sentenced to death by stoning earlier this month after convicting her of adultery. After international pressure and outrage, Iran’s Judiciary announced that she would not be executed by stoning, but it has not quashed her death sentence.Mostafaei also has handled numerous cases of juvenile offenders sentenced to death for crimes involving murder and rape, and is a leading advocate in Iran of ending the death penalty for those who committed crimes as minors. Over the past few years, Mostafaei has provided important information and gripping accounts exposing the dire situation of juvenile offenders on death row.In 2009, he described Delara Darabi’s last moments to Human Rights Watch. Prison authorities secretly executed her in Rasht Prison for a killing she was alleged to have committed when she was 17. Darabi was one of at least four juveniles executed by the Iranian government in 2009.This is not the first time that Mostafaei and other prominent rights lawyers have been harassed or arrested by Iranian security forces and the judiciary. Human Rights Watch has documented a persistent pattern of harassment and intimidation by the Iranian government against high-profile human rights lawyers and their families, including the Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, whose sister and husband have been repeatedly harassed and interrogated during the past several years. Government authorities shut down Ebadi’s Human Rights Defenders Center (HRDC) in December 2009.Since the disputed presidential election on June 12, 2009, authorities have either arrested or harassed numerous human rights lawyers, such as Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, Abdolfattah Soltani, Mohammad Seifzadeh, Hadi Esmaielzadeh, Manijeh Mohammadi, Kambiz Noroozi, Shadi Sadr, and Mohammad Olyaeifard. The judiciary convicted Olyaeifard of “propaganda against the regime” and sentenced him to a year in prison in February, after he spoke to foreign media about his client, Behnoud Shojaii, a juvenile who was executed by prison authorities on October 12, 2009. Olyaeifard is serving his prison sentence. Authorities also detained Mosatafaei after the disputed June 12 elections, but released him shortly after his arrest.“It has become increasingly clear that the Iranian government targets rights lawyers not only as retaliation, but to cut off the outside world from vital information.” Whitson said. “The international community needs to stand behind lawyers such as Mostafaei, and support their right to continue their important work free from state intimidation and interference.”

"Kodakane Kar"( working kids)in Iran.Where did the $350,000,000,000 money from the sell of oil and Gas in 5 years go?

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IRAN WATCH CANADA online Is managed by Morteza Abdolalian (Mori) .It is the continuation of Iran Watch bulletin (print) since 2004 .It monitors daily news about Media,journalists and human rights in Iran.It defends press freedom,freedom of expression,Freedom of Information and Human Rights Activists in Iran and around the world.It has no affiliation to any political organizations.It is illegal using Iran Watch Canada without mentioning it as the source.